A personal christian worldview

I believe that God created the universe. What exists now came into being by the intricate design of an infinitely artistic Creator. The Bible plainly tells us that "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" (Genesis 1:1, KJV). In my mind, there is no room for controversy.

Some, notably evolutionists, would claim that the universe is a product of accident. Many evolutionists claim that the universe resulted from a gigantic explosion in outer space before there was an outer space. This view, however, does not measure up to science. In order for the kind of explosion that evolutionists claim to take place, there must be a chemical such as hydrogen present to ignite the explosion. If hydrogen were there to explode, the hydrogen would have to have been created by someone or something. This theory of "atheistic evolution" is, therefore, not logical.

Some evolutionists advance one of several theories known as "theistic evolution." One variation of this theory states that God is the "Creator" of the universe in that He guided its evolutionary process. This idea, too, fails to measure up to the evidence. If evolution of any form were true, then the fossil record would show millions of transitional forms in every layer of geological stratum. However, no such transitional form has ever been found. This lack of scientific and paleontological evidence lends support to my conclusion that Creation is the only logical model for how the universe came into being. Suffice it to say, I believe what the Bible says about Creation is the absolute truth.

The Bible says further concerning Creation that ". . . God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him, male and female created he them" (Genesis 1:27, KJV). Human life, created in God's image, has great intrinsic worth. There is no higher life form on earth than that of human beings. Humans can think, feel and relate to their environments in ways that no animal can. The intrinsic worth of a human is based entirely on the fact he is made in the very image of God. The Creator chose to form a creature from dust, and infuse into this creature some small portion of His very essence. This shows us the tremendous value of humanity.. The worth of humanity is such an important consideration. If we consider human life valuable, then we will do what we can to extend that life when a disease comes. Otherwise, a life could be shortened. If a man considers his family's lives important, he will work to provide food and necessities for them. If he does not, his family may lose their home, and quite possibly starve.

What about the question of meaning? Is there a point to life? I believe that there is. The bigger picture of human history is God showing His grace to sinful undeserving mankind. He had already showed His might and glory by creating the universe. He had shown His wisdom in creating the angels. But God had no outlet to express one of the attributes that was nearest and dearest to His heart, that of grace. So, God created man. Man, through His own free will, chose to sin, thus breaking off fellowship between Himself and God. God did not force man to do this, but He allowed Him to do it. To make a long story short, Christ's death on the Cross made possible a restoration of the fellowship between God and man that had been lost in Eden. The meaning of life is for man to have fellowship with His Creator. Life is worth the living. Life would be pointless were it not for the restored fellowship between God and man made possible by the Cross.

I believe that every human being, while prone to sin, does have within himself a conscience, a sense that some things are right and some things are wrong. This view can be substantiated by the sense of dread someone feels as he is about to do something he knows is wrong. This feeling could be interpreted as fear of being caught. A fear of being caught translates into a fear of facing the consequences of violating the moral code of a parent, teacher, or government official. Another indication is the guilt a person feels after he has violated his conscience. If there is no right and wrong, if there are no absolutes, why feel guilty about taking a puff of marijuana? Why feel guilty about robbing a convenience store or killing a man?

However, this conscience can be relative to the person's circumstances, upbringing, and culture, and therefore cannot be relied on as absolute truth. Consequently, a higher moral truth must be sought that that which is found in cultural norms, social convictions, and the dictates of one's conscience. This higher moral truth must be absolute and independent from human distortion. The only source that fits these criteria is the Word of God. The truths contained in the Bible are the essence of my personal morality. I arrived at this personal morality in the first place through years of instruction from my parents, church leaders, and other Godly adults. However there came a time when I had to make this morality my own. I did this through many personal failures, and prayer and meditation on God's Word.

There is hope for life after death. Just as the Word of God records how life began on earth, so it explains what happens to individuals when their lives end. I believe that the Creative God is also the Redemptive God. If an individual accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, that individual experienceS the eternal paradise of Heaven when he dies. However, if that same individual either rejects or neglects to accept Christ, he will experience the eternal torture of hell after death. The only way to have true hope is to believe in Jesus Christ's substitutionary death on the Cross for salvation. There are no complicated rules with which to comply. Salvation is an extremely easy process. Therefore, there is no need to question whether or not you will go to heaven when you die. This is the basis for true hope.